Why the Blessed Bless Their Blesser

Paul the apostle enumerates some of the spiritual blessings of God the Father to His people in Ephesians 1:3-14. These include:

1. Election to Salvation (v. 4);

2. Predestination to sonship (v. 5);

3. Acceptance in Christ (v. 6);

4. Redemption through Christ (v. 7a);

5. Forgiveness through Christ (v. 7b);

6. Knowledge of His will (v. 9);

7. Final gathering in Christ (v. 19);

8. A predestined inheritance (v. 11);

9. Sealing by the Holy Spirit (v. 13);

10. The Holy Spirit for our guarantee (v. 14).

      But note also that Paul declares how and why God the Father blessed us:

1. “According to the good pleasure of His will” (v. 5);

2. “To the praise of the glory of His grace” (v. 6);

3. “According to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us” (v. 7f);

4. “According to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself” (v. 9);

5. “According to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (v. 11);

6. “To the praise of His glory” (v. 12);

7. “To the praise of His glory” (v. 14).

      It is no wonder that the blessed by God are blessers of God (see v. 3).

 

– DEP

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